Dr Caius            Andrew Forbes-Lane
Sir John Falstaff   Alan Opie
Bardolph            Anthony Mee
Pistol              Mark Beesley
Meg Page            Sarah Connolly
Alice Ford          Rita Cullis
Mistress Quickly    Catherine Wyn-Rogers
Nannetta            Mary Plazas
Fenton              Charles Workman
Ford                Keith Latham

Conductor           Oliver von Dohnanyi
Director            Matthew Warchus
Translation         Amanda Holden

Co-production with Opera North

In the nick of time, a successful new production at the ENO with a
significant feelgood element. (The new From the house of the dead is
excellent, but doesn't exactly send you cheering into St Martins Lane ready
to march on the Department of Culture.) On Friday, the Coliseum was pretty
much sold out, and it would be difficult to argue that there isn't a
substantial audience for lucid, theatrical performances of the tougher
mainstream repertoire, with superb musical values.

The production is very clever indeed when you think about it, but also
completely transparent. The set for the first two acts is an inside room,
done in perspective, raised within the proscenium. The decor and staging
imitate various genres of painting, so that for example the women set up a
still life with lute, flowers and a wine bottle when they're preparing for
Alice's date with Falstaff. The third act set is a perspective street (with
children used for figures further away -- the only time I've ever seen this
work, except possibly in the airport scenes in Casablanca if that's true)
that converts to the forest by reversing the panels. The period, as
suggested by the perspective sets, is Henry IV as seen from the
renaissance. As seen from the nineteenth century as seen from today, of
course. (A program note by Germaine Greer points out some other
perspectives, on the place of women in Shakespeare and Verdi.)

Everything about this production is energetic but civilised. The setting is
winter, with flurries of snow, and this Falstaff has a white beard and a
merry red nose. Accompanied by a pigletoid Very Small Page, he also has
aspects of Pooh Bear -- childlike rather than childish. Alan Opie wasn't
particularly loud, though he sounded quite robust and musical, and he's a
delightful actor. The wives, in glorious mediaeval kit, were jolly, and
Rita Cullis was particularly impressive as Alice. Charles Workman is
another tall blond American tenor with a lot of voice, beautifully clear
with the lyrical line in the ensembles. Mary Plazas was a pocket-sized
Nannetta, also with an amazing amount of voice.

Oliver von Dohnanyi got an outstanding, clear performance from the ENO
orchestra. In fact, this all fitted together perfectly both musically and
dramatically. (Dohnanyi looks like a blond version of John Cleese. I did
start imagining what rehearsals might be like...)

Alan Opie got tapped on the shoulder to ask the audience at the end to
write to Chris Smith, the Secretary of State for Culture, who first floated
with idea of moving the ENO into the ROH, and Sir Richard Eyre, who is
chairing the committee to consider the options. Finding himself miked, he
said he could have used it earlier. I think this appeal is happening after
every performance. It must be said, the hoohah, as well as word-of-mouth
and reviews of the current productions, is certainly filling up the
Coliseum.